Let me begin with an apologia. This is an article about netsuke that I believe, from the bottom of my heart, are not genuine. To the current owners of the questioned netsuke in this article, I apologize sincerely. It is truly not my intent to cause trouble. You may continue to assert the authenticity of these pieces. I just do not agree. Everyone who knows the Porcupine knows that I am an opinionated individual and for that, I do not apologize. I do realize that what is asserted in this article - no matter how strongly asserted - is opinion. I am pretty sure of what I say or I would not dare to bring pieces into question. But, if you disagree, write to me.
はじめに、根付コレクターの方々に、お断りしておきます。私見で偽物だと思うものを本物と見比べることによってその真偽をお見せしたいのです。すぐにその違いについてお判りになる方もいらっしゃるでしょう。問題を起こす気はさらさらないのですが、私のこれまでの経験、すなわち何千何万もの根付に触れ、長きに渡って学んできた経験から、以下の記事を書かせていただきます。何か疑問質問がある方は、コメントを送って欲しいです。
I have handled thousands of carvings and care deeply about the integrity of the field. I believe that, unless you are having a bad day, you too have the capacity to spot fakes. Ultimately, trust only your own considerable eye and judgment. Even if you disagree with my premises, which you have every right to and you will say that beauty is subjective which; of course, it is, read on anyway. I fully believe that the differences between real and fake with respect to the netsuke in this article are so evident that they go beyond the “bad day” argument. That lesser signed carvings are either those of the master’s students or are outright fakes.
本物（左）と偽物（右）を並べて比べるとその違いは一目瞭然です。本物は１８世紀の黄楊製の逞しい鬼。本物の鬼はその顔は印象的で、綱を懸命に引いているが思うように手繰り寄せられない様子がリアルに作られています。偽物は、木製ですが新しく、単にその顔は悪者のように作られているだけです。また、左腕を見てみるとその筋肉はよく出来てないのがわかります。また、左手の中に紐通しがありません。これは本物の写真を見ながらコピーされたもので、そのため左手の中にも紐通しがあるのを見逃して作ったと考えられます。
When you can put aside the genuine piece and the fake it is easy to see the difference (fig.1): We have here a 18th century very powerful boxwood Oni and a brand new copy. The left hand of the oni has no hole which prove that the carver copied it from a photo since he would never made such big mistake if he had the original piece in his hand. The muscles and the tiger skin are poorly carved and the expression is only showing a kind of wickedness.The eighteen century Oni pulls a rope that does not give and he does not know why.
本物（左、象牙、１８世紀）に比べて、偽物（右、木）では、その子供は間抜けに描かれています。
Here is another one (fig.2), just look at this boy which is part of a netsuke and you should see that the wooden one which is very stiff. It is a copy, that is very obvious, it is more difficult when you have never seen the original, but if you put together the genuine piece and the fake the difference is obvious
Look at these two boars signed Mitsuhiro (fig.3). The copy is fatter than the original; the hair work is more deeply incised with a different kind of knife; the hoof does not stand flat on the ground and has an inclination which is not in accord with the pose. Notice also that there is no trace of wear. The black between the legs and the body which is due to years of handling does not exist on the copy which is clean. Frankly, to me, the copy looks vacant while the original has a bashful look which fits with the personality of Mitsuhiro. 光廣作 猪（左）と偽物のコピー（右）本物は大人しそうでまるで作者の光廣の性格そっくりです。長年手に触れられてきたために溝が黒くなっています。偽物にはそれは見られません。
Why are there so many signed fakes? Because they achieve a higher price! They were made for Westeners because it is for them an unbelievable omission that an artist can actually complete a masterwork without signing it, they have no clue of the Asian mind. It does not mean the piece is finer since some masterwork were made for a Daimyo and the artist would not dare to put his name unless order to do so. Collectors should not care for a signature as far as the piece is old. I think they have to learn to love them while done by somebody else.
しばしば偽物ではないが、弟子による根付が見られます。例えば、友忠のサインのある牛の根付が岡友もしくは他の弟子によって作られていることがあります。弟子の作り方のスタイルをよく熟知すれば、左の写真のように背のカーブの途中にくぼみが見られ、角がまっすぐ、２つの角の間の毛がよく彫られているのは、岡友作だとわかります。友忠は、とりわけ牛の根付が有名で、天然痘の魔よけとして重宝されました。
Some netsuke are not fakes they were made by students and bear the signature of the master that the case of Tomotada and others; when you know the characteristics and personality of the carver you can see that some carvings with the signature of the master are in fact the work of the pupils and you can make attribution . For example take the case of Tomotada, famous for his oxen which were considered as able to protect from smallpox, most of them are the work of pupils. Even if they are signed Tomotada we can recognize who carved them. For instance when you see an ox with a curving back like that one you can be sure it was made by Okatomo. The tuft of thick hair between the horns which are straight and leaning backwards, scarcely longer than the ears is an other feature and there are many more I do not point out. If you are interested by my knowledge you can buy the books I wrote or get in touch.
Alain Ducros has lectured to a wide variety of organisations and taught numerous classes and workshops, he has written in a variety of publication for example:
" La côte des Netsuke" A.B.C. vol 176 June 1979
"Cataloge Netsuke, Inro and Sagemono". Koln Museum fur Ostasiatische Kunst 1982
"Le bon choix dans les Netsuke" L'Estampille N°212 March 1988
"The tiger among Netsuke" Von der grossen Kunst der Kleinen dinge 1990
"Paris Edo" cataloge of the 1994 Convention in Paris
Plus many articles in Netsuke Kenkyukai study journal , International Netsuke Society journal and Bulletin de l'association Franco-Japonaise on differents subjects for example: Leather use in Japan, Tametaka, Toyomasa, Sokeï, Kokusaï, Ganbun….And the Porcupine Corner a satirical page on what is going on in the auction rooms or about books which have been published with many mistakes.
His last book is a study of the Magic side of the netsuke in "Promenade dans l'art Japonais" more recently he organised an exhibition of Japanese Art in Monaco and wrote a 15 pages leaflet for the 150th anniversary of the opening of Japan to the West .
日仏交流１５０周年記念モナコ展示会開催の冒頭挨拶をするアランデュクロ氏
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